According to the New
York Times, U.S. District Court Judge John S. Martin dismissed the
lawsuit environmentalists filed against New York City over mosquito spraying
in July 2000. Beyond Pesticides along with the No Spray Coalition, Disabled
in Action, Save Organic Standards - New York, and the National Preparedness
Network filed suit against the City of New York in federal court for violations
of federal and state environmental statutes in the city's mosquito-control
program.

Under the lawsuit,
the plaintiffs asked the court to stop violations of law associated with
the spraying because it threatens the health and safety of New York City
residents. The lawsuit charged that the spraying was a violation of the
Clean Water Act, the unpermitted and lawful discharge of pollutants into
bodies of water; the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, the placement,
disposal and illegal open dumping of hazardous waste near, over and into
waterways, air and land; and the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide
Act, the use of a pesticide inconsistent with its label.

Beyond Pesticides
and other environmentalists charge that spraying is not an effective way
to prevent death or illness associated with the insect-borne disease,
West Nile Virus. A large part of this has to do with understanding the
life cycle of mosquitoes and their biology. Another large part of this
has to do with the inability, especially in an urban environment, to hit
target insects with typical ground spraying from trucks or by aerial application.
While recognizing the public health threat of WNV and given limited pesticide
spray efficacy, it becomes even more important to recognize the public
health hazards associated with widespread pesticide exposure. The pesticides
most commonly used across the country are neurotoxic and have been linked
to cancer. Children with respiratory problems, such as asthma, are particularly
vulnerable to these pesticides and will suffer disproportionately from
exposure.

The Centers of Disease
Control and Prevention state that spraying adulticides, pesticides intended
to kill adult mosquitoes, is usually the least efficient mosquito control
technique. Aside from adverse health effects posed to humans, adulticiding
may actually increase the number of mosquitoes by destroying their natural
predators. Additionally, mosquitoes that survive the spraying may become
resistant, longer-lived, more aggressive, and have an increased prevalence
of the virus within their bodies. Despite these problems, adulticides
are often used in the battle to control mosquitoes.